silicon carbide

Silicon carbide (SiC) is an extremely hard material that is extremely rare naturally, being found only within meteorites, but is widely manufactured.

In the pre-industrial world it was highly valued as a rare abrasive. The occurrence on the Greek island of Milos in the form of significant quantities of corundum (which contains traces of silicon carbide) has been cited as as factor in the advances made in statuary by the Ancient Greeks. Natural silicon carbide is known as moissanite after Ferdinand Henri Moissan who first discovered its presence in a meteorite in Arizona. Moissanite continues to be a term used in lapidiary and amongst jewellers for a subsititute for diamond.